Lightning
by Spirit Eclipse Dragon-Wolf
Summary: One bite is all it takes of the forbidden fruit. It disperses the illusion of justice and vengeance to reveal the bigger picture at play. However, it comes at the cost of blurring the lines between reality and fantasies for the two to merge. Besides, the sweetest nectar comes from breaking the rules after all. Will it lead to paradise or the abyss?
1. Flicker

**_Hey y'all! It's Spirit here. Welp, while working on updates and talking to my child this random idea has come to mind. I just absolutely need to work on it or I will get nagged in my head about it until I do it. Yeah, the mind is a strange thing sometimes. Hehes _**

**_My aplogies if there are any mistakes. I'm not the best when it comes to proofreading. I hope to fix any misspellings and the like when I have more time on my hands. So, please just deal with it for the meantime. Thanks y'all! _**

**_Anyway, let's go through the usual spiel like I always do. Hopefully it helps understand how I work when it concerns writing fanfiction. _**

**_I primarily write in the third person perspective. I do go through scenes a little quickly, but I always keep the pace a steady one. _** **_This is an AU. _** **_I own nothing except the plot and any OC's I end up involving._** **_This will be inclusive and LGBT oriented. I write ships that I consider as favorites that I love and adore to pieces. Others might not agree or love them though. _** **_I write characters a certain way. Everyone writes them differently. I try to keep them true to the anime/manga, but I also like putting my own spin to them. Sometimes that leads to slight OOCness, but I try to make sure it doesn't happen often. _**

**_Oks, that's it. I hope that helps. I also hope you all enjoy the story. Please remember to favorite, follow, etc. along with leaving some nice comments. _**

**Warnings: This will include mature themes. That will be same sex relationships, angst, mental disorders, death, eventual lemons when characters are of consenting ages, and so on. **

**Pairings: SasuNaru and ItaSaku. Any others will be implied and/or added like usual. **

**Lightning **

**Chapter 1: Flicker **

The roll of thunder sounds from the clouds in Konoha that evening. Most people are in their homes at such a late hour. What no one is aware of is two individuals are meeting when there won't be any AMBU about. Well, of course those elite ninja are doing their rounds, but this meeting is in a blind spot. This has been in the works for some time. Arriving at the area can be seen two men. The one arriving has raven hair and onyx eyes, wearing usual attire of someone of his high rank. The other is the same although his eyes are crimson, wearing a pristine formal kimono and zori.

"I appreciate you coming to see me at such a late hour," murmurs the velvet smooth voice of the other man.

"Hn, I know. Are you sure this is necessary? Will my brother be spared?" Asks the one coming here which seems to be Itachi.

"I have taken that under consideration," concedes Madara. "But you know what must be done even though it does pain you so."

"Yes," grimaces Itachi. "I do."

"He and Obito will be spared, darling," assures Madara with a smirk. "You still must carry out the deed before they are aware of what has been set into motion."

"I understand," says itachi in resignation.

"Besides, you will be one step closer to turning," murmurs Madara, having been using hushed tones even while in a secluded place out of any AMBU's notice.

"Into what?" Asks Itachi with some interest, having caught bits and pieces from his parents about what the Uchiha race truly is.

"Oh, I can't ruin the surprise," says Madara with a small chuckle. "You'll find out after you complete your tasks. I have my own to deal with a certain bitchy fox."

"Alright," hesitantly Itachi agrees to this, having some reluctance remaining of following through with the plans.

"Don't fail me nor be a disgrace to our clan," warns Madara before he snaps his fingers, vanishing without a trace being left behind.

Out in the rain, itachi sighs to himself. The last thing he wants is to commit a massacre, but there's no other option available to him. What does give him some solace is knowing that his brother and cousin will be spared, having been doing his best to protect them both even if they might not know it. Putting aside his grievances, he decides to get to work. Sasuke may hate him for what he has to do. Hopefully when he's older he will come to understand the truth of why he has to do this. That's one of the hopes he has, doubting that it's ever going to be that simple.

_Will he ever forgive me? _

()()()()()()

The first thing that Sasuke smells is the heavy scent of blood. The metallic smell permeates the air, making him jolt bolt upright in his bed. Getting up out of it, he goes to investigate the commotion. Being around the age of thirteen, he wonders what might be happening. Opening the door to his room, he steps out to gawk at the sight before him. Blinking in shock, he walks down the length of the hall to where his parents room is, noticing that's where it's the strongest from what it seems. Opening the door, he looks inside to gasp at what he sees. Lying on the bed is the bodies of Mikoto and Fugaku dead on the sheets with their blood pooling around them, seeming to be near the point of coagulation. Backing away from the door, he slams it shut. Whirling around when he walks a few steps away from the door, he comes face to face with itachi.

"What's going on here, Nii-san?" Demands the younger Uchiha to know, having some suspicion of what this might be about.

"it had to be done," replies itachi simply as if it's common sense, having an impassive expression to reveal nothing.

"W-What? No, no, it can't be true," mutters Sasuke in disbelief, shaking his head at him in rejection of this.

"it can and it is," says Itachi firmly, making Sasuke flinch at the conviction in his voice. "It needed to be done for the safety of this village."

"You killed them," whispers Sasuke at first, seeming to be about to be in hysterics. "You killed them! It's all your fault!"

Itachi doesn't flinch at the accusations thrown at him, knowing while it's the truth he can't do anything about how his brother might feel, "It had to be done. What I can tell you is one day when you grow strong enough and harbor enough hate you can come find me. Maybe when you do I can tell you everything you want to know."

Without another word, he disappears from view to leave Sasuke in the empty halls of the Uchiha compound. Letting out a yell of anger and anguish, Sasuke does eventually allow some tears to trickle down his face. The swell of emotions whirling around inside of him is hard to handle. Still, he doesn't feel like he can believe that Itachi has done this. Then again, he has heard no falsehoods in his brother before nor before he left him for good. Maybe he's right. Perhaps one day when he's older he'll be able to seek him out to understand why all of this has been necessary.

"You better be ready when I come after you, Itachi. You will regret what you have done."

()()()()()()

Meanwhile, in the Namikaze compound, Naruto has been dozing off and on. His parents had let him take a break from his studies and training, needing to recover his strength. Being the container of the Nine Tails isn't an easy life. People always hate him for reasons he doesn't understand. Well, Kurama has let him know that people think that he is her when they are entirely two different individuals that while both have vulpine features don't resemble one another. It makes him draw up the conclusion that some people will always have the head in the sand syndrome. Hopefully one day they can see that they have been foolish of being so unreasonable. Startling awake at someone shaking his shoulders, Naruto opens his eyes to see her there.

"What's wrong, Fluffy?" Asks the oceanic-eyed male of thirteen years old.

"There's trouble, kit," hisses out the dark red haired woman with ruby eyes, wearing a samurai kimono and a pair of zori along with her katana in its sheath strapped to her left hip.

"What kind?" Asks Naruto, uncertain if he's supposed to be feeling dread or excitement of her telling him this.

"Nothing good," retracting her hold on his shoulders, she goes back to pacing back and forth, being one of a slender frame with an ample amount of muscle, having a pair of fox ears atop her head while nine tails protrude from her backside.

"Just tell me already," sighs Naruto out of frustration, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

"it's him," says Kurama simply as if that's supposed to be the answer that tells him everything he needs to know.

"Oh," looking down at his lap, Naruto frowns in concern. "You mean Madara, don't you?"

"Yes," hisses out Kurama, rage boiling in her veins at even the mere mention of that name around her.

"This is serious then," Naruto gets out of bed, wearing his usual purple jumpsuit with orange trim along with a t-shirt and pants underneath while on his feet are a pair of zori. "There's no time to lose then. What do we need to do?"

"He's going to be coming for us," explains Kurama to him, still seeming quite tense with the poor situation they are going up against. "He's the elder. I don't know what he plans."

"Most likely trying to control you again," suggest Naruto in disdain, hearing Kurama snarl at the mention of it.

"Probably," nods Kurama. "Hurry up, kit. We need to move."

"Ok," Naruto grabs his pouch, attaching it to his belt before giving the signal that he's ready to go.

Grabbing his hand, Kurama transports them to a different place than inside of the compound. It's the place that first came to her mind to try to escape to. Being in the ninth kingdom is a safe haven as any. It's where she grew up in, feeling a sense of relief to see that everything is intact for the moment. The first kingdom is still at odds with them. Personally to Kurama, she thinks it's just one of the things that happened long before she was even born. Looking around in awe, Naruto has known about it from the stories Kurama has been able to tell him throughout the years. To see it in person doesn't even come close to just hearing about it. Having no room to dillydally, Kurama tugs him by the hand to the palace, needing to return there to see to business. The ominous feeling that something or rather someone is watching them doesn't help to make matters better. When they reach it, she opens the door to lead them both inside. The doors shut close behind them, making sure the locks are in place to keep out any unwanted individuals. It's not enough to put Kurama at ease considering she knows what sort of tricks Madara has to get around such things.

"You can take up one of the rooms on the second floor," advises Kurama. "I'll come check on you in a few minutes. Lock the door and windows when you are inside. Don't let anyone in unless you hear me. Got it?"

"Yep, crystal clear here," affirms Naruto, making his way up there.

When he's out of view, Kurama lets out a sigh. Rubbing her temples, she tenses at feeling a presence nearby. It doesn't help knowing that Madara will most likely easily bypass any locks and protective wards she puts up. It's worth a try even though it'll be in vain. When the feeling passes, she yelps at noticing someone behind her. Mentally, she chastises herself for having let down her guard like this even though she has been doing her best to be on edge.

"My, my, you are a little jumpy today…. Is it because of me, darling? If it is I'm pleased," says the unmistakable voice of her sworn enemy. "You're hoping to flee here for safety, don't you?"

"Don't you dare," hisses out Kurama in warning, whirling around to face the dark haired man.

A smirk graces his lips as he replies, "I might if I feel it's worth my time. Your host is in danger after all."

"What do you mean?" Asks Kurama warily, unsure if she even wants to hear him out.

"I'm not here for a fight," admits Madara even though she might not believe him. "Although I do have a message to give if you're willing to hear it."

Against her better judgement, Kurama gives a nod, alerting him that he has her full attention, "Go ahead I guess."

"When the youngest members of fox and hawk grow to nineteen years old the Five Nations will be entering a new darkening age. It'll be up to them along with any that go along with them to either bring it to the abyss or paradise even while the reality the mortals know and the world that you and I know begins to merge," says Madara, taking his time to deliver it all.

"I see," mulling this over, Kurama doesn't know what to make of it, thinking that she'll talk it over with Naruto later to see what his thoughts are about it.

"That's all. Your kingdom will soon fall to ruin, my dear. It'll all happen before your very eyes. Perhaps you might be the catalyst to make it all happen. Anyway, my time here is up wasting it with you. We'll be in touch."

**_Yays! Done with chappie one! My apologies if it's a little short, but it's better than nothing. Besides, I do enjoy being a tease for what's to come next. It'll be interesting working on this new longfic. Hopefully I will do well enough on it for y'all to have a pleasant reading experience as per usual. _**

**_Anyway, the next chappie will be out whenever I have it finished being written up. Hopefully that won't be too long of a wait for it though. Until then, please remember to review, darlings!_**


	2. Mist

**_Hey y'all! Welcome back for the next chappie of Lightning. I hope you all enjoyed what happened last time. Oh, I definitely have quite a number of ideas for this along with my other fanfics and even my original work. That's just the life of a writer; having a swell of ideas at the ready. Hehes _**

**_Anyway, enough of the chitter chatter for the moment. Let's get on with it, shall we? Please remember to favorite, follow, etc. along with leaving some nice comments. _**

**Chapter 2: Mist **

Four years have come to pass. There hasn't been much peace in the Five Nations again with the looming threats that the Akatsuki hold. Naruto has come back to his home village, hoping to be able to seek out Jiraiya for assistance. While that's going on, life has gone on for everyone else. Tsunade has seen her prodigy or otherwise known as her adoptive daughter, Sakura, grow into the strong and beautiful woman that she is. At the moment, the rose haired kunoichi is seeing to her duties at the hospital. Having long hours does cost a toll on her, but it's good work that she does. Being one of the highest esteemed doctors in the lands does have its own set of expectations to uphold. Rubbing her temples after the dayshift, she feels glad that today she doesn't have night duties. Punching out on the timesheet when she finishes up, she exits out back onto the streets of Konoha.

What she wears under her doctor's lab coat is a medic's attire of a pair of leggings, a shirt with short sleeves though can cover to long ones if necessary, and a pair of zori. She does get some privileges to her ensemble though there are some restrictions like at any institute. Having her medic bag clipped to her belt, she has all of her items in it. Having her long hair in a loose ponytail, she has some strands of her hair fall into her face. What she doesn't realize is that there's something or rather someone watching her out from the shadows. Making her way back to her apartment, fishing out her keys when she approaches the front stoop. Unlocking the front door, she turns on the lights after heading in. Blinking a few times at seeing a figure standing there as if lying in wait, she folds her hands behind her, fueling some chakra into her fists in case she might need to fight whoever this intruder is.

"If you're here to rob the place I will detain you," warns Sakura, eyeing the figure closely as the individual moves more into the light, making her drop her guard at realizing it's an Uchiha. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I had come to give my report to Lady Hokage, but I took a detour afterwards," answers the calm voice of the raven haired man.

"So?" Lifting a brow, she decides to go about this with some caution. "It's Itachi, right?"

A single nod is all she gets as he says, "The one and only."

"Don't be smug about it," snaps Sakura, locking her door just in case before moving further into her home. "Anyway, why come to me? Sasuke needs to see you."

A sigh of resignation escapes his lips, "No, no, he doesn't. He'll find me when he's ready. Until then I go about my own business."

Rolling her eyes, she crosses her arms over her chest, "Somehow your business is with me now? Spit it out already unless you're going to waste more of my time."

"Very well then," agrees itachi, giving a short bow out of respect to placate her, having heard stories about what sort of temper she has. "You've caught my attention."

This just throws her completely off, blinking a few times in surprise, "How so?"

"You never had any entanglements with my brother?" Itachi asks instead of answering her question.

"Nope. I mean I had a crush on him when I was younger, but nothing happened further than just having a silly crush," explains Sakura, shaking her head as she wonders why she's even telling him this. "Do you want something to drink or eat? I'm guessing it's a long way from whoever you've come from to get here."

"That would be appreciated," nods Itachi, knowing he has some time to spare though must spend it wisely.

Heading into her kitchen, she peruses what she has on hand, "Do you want something alcoholic or caffeinated?"

"Tea would work," suggests itachi.

"Ok," Sakura gets out two mugs, finding some tea bags to set in both of them before filling up the kettle with water and putting it on. "It'll take a few minutes for that to boil. So, you were saying? I don't think you answered my question…"

"Ah, yes," Itachi takes a seat on her sofa, making himself comfortable since she's being so hospitable to someone that's shown up unannounced. "As I have said you have caught my attention. I have had…what you say crushes before, but this pales in comparison. I've seen your strengths, weaknesses, how you deal with clients, and so forth. You are truly a formidable woman."

A flush of heat rushes to her cheeks, turning them a similar color to her hair, taking this all in when he finishes, swallowing a lump that forms in her throat, "Uh, well, that's sweet of you. Isn't it odd with our age difference? I mean I am a year or two older than Sasuke and Naruto. I just have my own worries with getting into anything with you."

Chuckling lightly, a small smile graces his lips, "No, it's not an issue. I'm about twenty-five. I was about your age when I left the village."

"Oh, I see," Sakura guesses that it'll be ok, doubting that her mother will approve of it though. "We probably don't want the Hokage knowing. I heard that you're a part of the Akatsuki."

"That's not false," concedes itachi, having no issues in letting that slip since it's pretty much common knowledge at this point.

Looking down at her feet, she lifts her gaze at hearing the kettle go off. Turning back to it, she pours the hot water into the two mugs, stirring in a spoonful of honey and a spritz of vanilla in it. When that's done, she brings the two mugs over after turning the kettle off. Handing one to him, she goes to sit in a chair adjacent to the sofa, doubting she wants to be anywhere near him. It still feels a little awkward for her. Sure, there have been people in her life that have tried to court her, but she has always turned those offers down. However, Itachi is nothing like anyone she has come in contact before. There's this air of mystery and allure about him that perks her interest. Maybe it won't be that bad seeing into this further.

"It's just some green tea," says Sakura, letting it steep as the warmth radiating off of the mug helps ease her hands, having grown a little cold from the outside chill earlier.

"Hn, I normally make that myself," murmurs itachi, taking a sip or two when it finishes steeping. "I can give you some time to think over my offer if you want."

Giving that some thought, she shakes her head, "That's sweet of you, but no I don't need to. I think I'll be fine to see what happens next."

A smirk twitches onto Itachi's lips, finding these proceedings pleasing, liking it when things come to a mutual agreement, "Well then….we'll be seeing each other more often, Haruno."

"It seems like it, Uchiha. Just don't get yourself caught," Sakura teases him.

"I'll do the best I can. I must be going soon. It's been a pleasure to meet you in person at last. Let's see how long we can play this game before either of our leaders catch on."

()()()()()()

Outside of the Uchiha compound, Sasuke trains alone. Rarely does he ever go socialize with others. Sometimes he will when it concerns his teammates and any officials though that's it. Most of the time he keeps to himself, having a one track mind of one day finding his brother when he's ready. The thought of leaving this place does appeal to him. Maybe someday soon he can do it, but he needs to finish his own personal training first. The signature of Itachi has come across his mind when he catches notice of it, making him frown in annoyance. Clearly it must be to tease him, deciding not to give it any of his time. The last thing he needs is any sort of distraction.

When he finishes up for the day, he wipes the sweat off of his forehead. There isn't that much, but a decent amount. The sight of Naruto's return does cause something inside of him to warm. It kind of freaks him out the odd sensations inside of him that rise up when even thinking about the obnoxious blonde. Well, he's obnoxious in his opinion at least. Most think of the jinchurriki as a knucklehead, but he like the other shinobi and even the kunoichi know that he's quite smart. Getting himself together, he supposes that he can allow himself to go see him. It's been a long time after all since their last encounter when they were younger. Maybe the years apart have done them both some good. Making his way out of the compound's area, he heads out into the streets. Most people avoid him, paying no heed to it from what Obito has told him. It doesn't bother him that one day he will turn as well. It's an inevitable outcome of their clan. It doesn't take long for him to locate Naruto, finding him having a bite to eat at Ichiraiku's like old times. Turning his attention to the approaching raven haired male, he gives a slight smile at seeing him of all people.

"Hey," greets Naruto, motioning to the stool beside him. "How's it going?"

"Hn, hello," Sasuke acknowledges him, hesitantly taking a seat beside him. "What brings you back?"

"Ah, that's a good question," grins the sapphire-eyed male of seventeen years old. "Just looking for Pervy Sage for the most part. I thought sticking around here for a while might draw him out or something."

"I see," muses Sasuke. "I heard he's been perusing the hot springs again."

Snorting lightly, Naruto laughs, "That's how he is. Most likely he's trying to get some research again for his books."

"Yes, I think so," nods Sasuke, not really wanting to stay too long with how uncomfortable the feeling are that emerge with being around the other male.

"I'm surprised you haven't left here yet," mentions Naruto in a lower voice.

"I am shortly," assures Sasuke, stiffening at even someone like him asking him out of the blue like this.

"Oh," frowning a little, Naruto shrugs. "That's good then. Still looking for Itachi, right?"

"Of course," sniffs Sasuke indignantly.

"Ok," nods Naruto, hopping off the stool, waving goodbye to the Uchiha. "I'll be around for a few more days. Maybe we'll see each other around?"

"Perhaps we will."

**_Oks, that's the end of chappie two. So, there you go with some relationship building. I think it was rather cute to be honest. I'm not the best with straight pairs. It's why I limit on how much I do those while LGBT+ ships I do an abundant amount. LGBT+ ships are easier for me to write. Hopefully I do both well enough, but my apologies if I don't meet readers expectations. _**

**_Anyway, the next chappie will be out shortly whenever I have it finished being written up. Hopefully that won't be too long of a wait for it though. Until then, please remember to review, darlings!_**


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